Conventional steering column gear shift levers are mechanically linked to a lever arm at the bottom of the steering column of an automobile. Because it is necessary for safety purposes to design the steering column to collapse in the event it is impacted in an accident, it is necessary that relatively expensive telescopic shear means be utilized in the gear shift linkage to accommodate a collapse of the steering column. Further the use of such linkages requires use of rods, lever arms and bell cranks resulting in considerable weight and in considerable expense involved in forming the various parts and in assembling the parts.
It is therefore an object of my invention to provide for a device to translate rotary motion into reciprocating movement and which may be adapted for use as a gear shift mechanism to eliminate use of costly and complicated linkage systems while at the same time providing for a mechanism that may collapse under impact loads.